Chelsea’s hopes of finishing in the top five took a huge hit on Sunday when Manchester City beat Liam Rosenior’s team 3-0 at Stamford Bridge. The Blues could not afford to lose this game, but they have. The result puts the west Londoners four points behind Liverpool, who are in fifth place and the last spot in the Champions League. Time is running out on a campaign that could fall apart at any moment.
The home team thought they had scored first when Joao Pedro danced past a few City defenders and set up Marc Cucurella, but the goal was ruled out for a very close offside call. After the break, Pep Guardiola’s team took control when Nico O’Reilly headed home a cross from Rayan Cherki, getting away from Andrey Santos’ marking five minutes into the second half.
Cherki became an architect again soon after, dribbling in from a corner and slipping a smart pass between two defenders to centre-back Marc Guehi, who scored with a low right-footed shot that was typical of a striker. Things only got worse when Moises Caicedo lost the ball in his own half, and Jeremy Doku shot low into the left corner past Robert Sanchez at the near post to end the game.
Fans who hadn’t already left booed the team off after eight minutes of extra time, as Rosenior’s team are now only three points inside the top half of the table overall.
Liam Rosenior’s future at Stamford Bridge is uncertain
Liam Rosenior’s job security may depend on the club playing in the Champions League next season. The collapse on Sunday only added to the uncertainty surrounding the former Hull boss. The head coach is under even more pressure now that they have to face Manchester United. Rosenior may have a defining few weeks ahead of him in west London, as the Blues have lost four of their last five league games.